Article originally published by Chain Store Age
August 7, 2026
Written by Al Urbanski
2026 Top 10 Retail Center Experiences: No. 1 – Easton Town Center
(Chain Store Age ranks the most innovative shopping center experiences each year. We have been counting down the top 10 — below is the center that ranked No.1 this year.)
This is the fourth time that Easton Town Center has headed Chain Store Age’s “Top 10 Retail Center Experiences” list since it debuted in 2018, and the first sentence on the center’s 2026 nomination form deftly summed up why…
Easton stands alone because of its willingness to continuously reinvent itself.
- In 2022, Steiner + Associates — co-developer and property manager — created a luxury district inhabited by brands that include Tiffany & Co., Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Golden Goose, Coach and Peter Millar. It’s a lineup one is more likely to find on Fifth Avenue in New York, Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles or Chicago’s Miracle Mile — not off Interstate 270 in Columbus, Ohio.
- Instead of seeking another single user for Easton’s Smith & Wollensky footprint, Steiner transformed the space into multiple storefronts, introducing Bar Italia, Suitsupply and Patek Philippe.
- When consumer habits shifted away from experimental retail concepts like Amazon Style, Steiner quickly reclaimed the footprint and reconfigured the space into three new store-front opportunities — Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn Kids and Miniso.
- Five years ago, Easton added a 16-acre project phase providing 140,000 square feet of new restaurant, retail and hotel space. This latest addition to the town center was designed to support art exhibitions, farmers markets and live music on its Yard Stage.
